text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Mar 5, 1996
|Filing date
|Apr 16, 1993
|Priority date
|May 15, 1990
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Walter K. Butler, III, John J. Napiorkowski, Thomas W. Kroll, Mark P. Cote
|Original Assignee
|Siecor Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (7), Non-Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (58), Classifications (14), Legal Events (11)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/956,144, filed Oct. 5, 1992(now U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,193) 07/956,516, 07/956,531, filed Oct. 5, 1992 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,837) and 07/956,746, all filed on Oct. 5, 1992 as continuation-in-part applications from U.S. patent application serial No. 07/523,457, filed May 15, 1990 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,910). It is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/029,592, filed Mar. 11, 1993 as a continuation-in-part of the aforementioned continuation-in-part applications.
The present invention relates to network termination modules that are utilized in telephone network interface apparatus to isolate the telephone company ("telco" herein) portion of the system from that serving the respective subscribers. Such isolation is desirable in order to segregate the responsibility for faults or malfunctions that may occur in the respective parts of the system.
The aforementioned patent applications (the contents of which patent applications are incorporated herein by reference), of which this application is a continuation-in-part, describe a telephone network interface apparatus arrangement utilizing a device, referred to herein as a "network termination module," in which the demarcation between the telco and subscriber portions of the system is established. Such network termination modules are advantageously organized to house within a single base structure those elements, such as a jack, a protector assembly and other apparatus required to interface the wiring for the subscriber telephone service with the incoming telephone wiring. While such devices can be used as single, stand-alone units, they are particularly useful for applications, such as office buildings, apartments, or the like, in which the incoming telephone wiring is intended for use by a multitude of subscribers. The described modules are particularly suited to be stacked in close, side-by-side relation in box-like enclosures, termed the "network interface apparatus", that, depending upon their size, are capable of accommodating any number of modules. Consequently, there results from such devices the ability, not only to segregate that portion of the system which is the responsibility of the subscriber from that for which the telephone company is responsible, but also to permit the centralization of a large number of the devices for ready access, whether by the subscriber or by a telco installer.
It is known to provide security for equipment of the described type by incorporating an enclosure that possesses two covers, one of which can be opened by both telco installers and by subscribers and the other which can be opened solely by the former. In this way, subscriber wiring is accessible by both the subscriber and a telco installer but telco wiring and that portion of the system which is appurtenant thereto can be accessed only by the telco installer.
With the housing within a common enclosure of equipment that provides telephone service to a large number of diverse subscribers, the need for security extends, not only to the interior of the housing, but even to the interior of each module. Thus, it is known to provide individual module with individual security covers and to provide means for locking such covers in place, typically by a padlock that can be opened only by the concerned subscriber. Early efforts in the design of this equipment utilized telco covers which, when opened, permitted removal of the padlock securing the module cover whereupon a telco installer could have access to the module interior. Such efforts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209 granted Dec. 18, 1990 to T. J. Collins et al. and assigned to Keptel, Inc.
Through use it has been discovered that apparatus requiting removal of the padlock before access to subscriber wiring in subscriber line or network termination modules of the described type can be obtained by a telephone installer suffers several disadvantages. For example, when a padlock must be removed from the module of a subscriber to permit access to the interior thereof, there is the problem that the lock can be misplaced or lost, thereby denying the subscriber the requisite security until the lock is replaced. Even more troublesome, however, is the fact that, when access is required to such modules, it is readily conceivable that the locks for a pair or more of the modules can be switched or mixed. This, of course, creates the disadvantage that, not only must the lock of the concerned subscriber be replaced, but the lock erroneously put in place must be removed, either by breaking it or by the engagement of a locksmith.
In this regard, there is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,466, granted Apr. 25, 1989, to Dowler et al. and assigned to the assignee herein, an arrangement for enabling authorized access to a telephone interface security device without need to remove the lock. Such arrangement presents a complex organization of parts occupying considerable space thereby making it inappropriate for use with network termination modules of the type described herein.
It is to the amelioration of these and other problems associated with the use of the concerned equipment that the present invention is directed.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved network termination module for attachment to a telephone network interface apparatus comprising a base structure; means in said base structure for connecting telco wiring thereto; means in said base structure for connecting subscriber wiring thereto; a movable cover adapted to enclose said subscriber wiring connecting means; a padlock for securing the security cover to said base structure; means for attaching said padlock to said cover; a locking member mounted on said base structure for movement between a first position and a second position, and a locking finger on said locking member operative, when said locking member is in said first position, to obstruct said locking member and said padlock and, when said locking member is in said second position, to free said locking member from said padlock.
The locking member is slidably mounted in a guideway formed in the base structure and carries a locking finger that, in its extended position, is adapted to be received in cooperating structure formed in the cover whereupon it lockingly engages the bail of the padlock attached to the cover and cooperates with the padlock to prevent the cover from being opened without the unlocking and removal of the padlock. On the other hand, when the locking member is moved to its retracted position and the locking finger is disengaged from the padlock bail, the cover can be opened while the padlock remains locked and attached to the cover.
As utilized in the telephone network interface apparatus, the locking member is, in its extended position, covered by the telco cover and thereby inaccessible when the telco cover is closed. Consequently, with the apparatus in this condition, the security cover on the network termination module can be opened only when the padlock carded by the module is unlocked by the subscriber and the padlock removed from its position on the module. Alternatively, due to the described organization, the module security cover can be readily opened by an authorized person, such as a telco installer having the capability of opening the telco cover on the network interface enclosure. By opening the telco cover, the locking members on the respective modules are exposed and thus can be selectively moved to their retracted positions displacing the respective locking fingers out of engagement with the associated padlock bail. With the locking finger disengaged from the padlock, the module security cover is free to be moved to its open position even while the padlock remains locked and in its attached position on the security cover.
It is accordingly a principle object of the present invention to provide an improved network termination module for attachment to a telephone network interface apparatus employing security means to prevent unauthorized access to subscriber wiring but which means can be overridden when authorized servicing of the unit is required.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved network termination module of the described type in which the overriding of the security means can be effected without need for removal of the padlock from its locked condition on the equipment whereby the danger of losing or inadvertent switching of padlocks is avoided.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and description which relate to a preferred embodiment thereof.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a telephone network interface apparatus employing a network termination module according to the present invention illustrating the enclosure covers in an open condition;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the telco cover on the enclosure in a closed condition;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the organization shown in the condition of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a network termination module illustrating the locking member in its secure position but with the padlock removed for clarity;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the locking member in its release position;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the network termination module of the invention shown with the security cover closed;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the network termination module shown with the security cover open;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the network termination module in the condition of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the network termination module of the invention;
FIG. 10A is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the network termination module of the invention illustrating the security cover in its fully closed condition;
FIG. 10B is a view similar to FIG. 10A illustrating the security cover in its closed "at rest" condition;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the locking member of the invention detached from the network termination module;
FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of the security cover according to the invention shown detached from the network termination module;
FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of the security cover of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a shroud portion of the network termination module of the invention;
FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of the shroud taken along line 15--15 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view of the shroud taken along line 16--16 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 8, illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a telephone network interface apparatus 10 employing a network termination module 12 according to the present invention. Apparatus 10, while illustrated in a reclined position, would typically be installed in a vertical attitude upon a wall. It comprises an enclosure housing 14 having a back wall 16 from which a pair of opposed side walls 18 and 20 and top and bottom walls 22 and 24, respectively, extend to form a frontal opening 26. A closure cover 28 which may be freely opened is hinged at 30 to close the frontal opening 26.
The interior of the enclosure housing 14 contains a raised panel 16' spaced from the back wall 16 and is divided generally into a subscriber portion 32 and a telco portion 34. Positioned between subscriber portion 32 and telco portion 34 is a ground bus 36 that extends in spaced, parallel relation to the side wall 18. A pair of through-openings 38 and 40 formed in the bottom wall 22 permit wiring access to subscriber portion 32 and telco portion 34, respectively. Security for the telco wiring portion 34 of the housing 14 is provided by a cover, termed "the telco cover" 42, that is mounted for pivotal movement on a enclosure side wall 18 by a pair of longitudinally spaced, aligned hinges 44 disposed adjacent the hinges 30. The telco cover 42 is locked by means of a free-turning threaded cap 46 that is captured in the cover and that engages a threaded post 48 which, as shown, may form part of the ground connection for bus 36. The telco cover 42 provides an effective closure over the telco wiring portion of the apparatus while exposing for subscriber access those elements of equipment which relate to subscriber service. In order to render the telco cover 42 secure, the cap 46 is configured to be rotated only by a tool of special design for use by a telco installer.
A plurality of network termination modules 12, only one of which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is arranged in stacked side-by-side relation within the interior of the housing 14. Each module 12, whose elements can advantageously be moldably formed from thermo-plastic material, contains electrical circuitry, which is not particularly germane to this invention but is pertinent to the telephone service for a single subscriber. For a description of the involved circuity, reference should be made to the several U.S. patent applications first written above herein, of which this application is a continuation-in-part and all of whose contents are incorporated in this application by reference. Each module 12 comprises a base structure 52 defined by rectangularly disposed sides forming a closed container 55 housing relevant telephone electronic circuitry (not shown). At one end, the base structure 52 is provided with a grounding clip 56, and at the other end with a pair of depending locking feet 58 that engage undercut grooves 60 in the housing panel 16' for fixedly securing, in cooperation with the grounding connection between the clip 56 and bus 36, the module 12 to the housing 14. The upper side of the base structure 52 is formed by intermediate support 62 having a body portion 64 that houses a telephone jack 66 and a shroud 68 which contains a pair of line terminals 70 that serve to connect incoming telco wiring. A gasket 67 formed of flexible, elastomeric material surrounds the opening defining the jack 66. The remainder of the support 62 is defined by a platform 72 having a receptor arch 74 at one end for mounting a terminal strip 76 which contains a plurality of subscriber terminals 78.
Shroud 68 is desirably fixed to the base structure 52 by means of pressure welding, or the like. Telco wiring can be connected to line terminals 70 through wire entry ports 80. Depending contact pins 82 extend from the line terminals 70 to electrically connect them to a protective element 84 which is housed within a forward compartment 86 of the base structure 52.
The subscriber terminals 78 form part of the terminal strip 76 and are electrically connected to a telephone plug 88. As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/029,592, the terminal strip 76 is adapted to be removably connected to the platform 72 of the intermediate support 62. Security for the subscriber terminals 78 is provided by a security cover 90 that, for example, is hinged at 92 at one end of the terminal strip and that, at the other end, possesses a snap latch 94 for securing it, in cooperation with a lip 96, to the module base structure 52. An actuator 98 for the snap latch 94 extends through an opening 100 in the cover 90 for manipulation to release the latch 94 when it is desired to open the module security cover 90.
The security cover 90 is of a size to overlie the upper surface of the terminal strip 76 to cover, when closed, the subscriber terminals 78 and the snap latch 94. As shown, the free end of the cover 90 extends beyond the end of the body portion 64 and mounts a telephone plug 88 which is adapted to be received in the telephone jack 66 when the cover is pivoted to its closed position.
In accordance with this invention means are provided for locking the security cover 90 to the base structure 52 via a padlock 102, the key for which is maintained by the subscriber whose service is effected by the concerned module 12, but which means provides for an overriding of the padlock. In overriding the padlock the security cover 90 can thus be opened by an authorized telephone installer without need for unlocking of the padlock nor for its removal from its locked position on the cover.
Accordingly, the security cover 90, at its free end, is provided in the region that overlies the telephone plug 88 with a padlock retainer member 104 that extends opposite from the plug 88 and is integrally formed on or otherwise joined to the cover. The padlock retainer member 104 includes an elongated base portion 106 having on its back side a serrated lift surface 108 to facilitate raising the cover 90. The front side of the base portion contains a lock retainer arm 110 which, as shown best in FIG. 13, is formed with a substantially hollow endpiece 112 containing a rectangular opening 114 for reception of the locking finger 116 of locking member 118, as hereinafter more fully explained. Cooperating with the endpiece 112 are a pair of oppositely spaced, inturned flange members 120 that provide a support function which is also hereinafter more fully described.
Also formed in this region of the security cover 90 is a pair of bail guide posts 122, that are each spaced outwardly from opposite sides of the retainer base portion 106 to define a space which, together with the region positioned below the lock retainer arm 110, is particularly formed for receiving the bail 124 of the padlock 102. From examination of FIGS. 6 and 7 it will be appreciated that the perpendicular surface relationship which exists between the posts 122 and the outwardly facing surface 126 of the security cover 90 provides a receptacle that, in cooperation with the body of the padlock, holds the padlock in place on the security cover.
In contrast with other comparable telephone security devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209, in which the locking function for holding the security cover closed is accomplished by the padlock bail being arranged to prevent relative movement between fixed elements on the module base structure and the movable cover operation of the present invention is achieved by an arrangement in which the padlock bail 124 secures the cover 90 to a locking member 118 that is movable between extended and retracted positions, and in only the former of which is the locking function of the padlock able to occur. Thus, as shown in the respective drawing figures there is provided a locking member 118 that is mounted for sliding movement in a slot 128 formed in the shroud 68 on the base structure 52. As shown, the slot 128 extends longitudinally across the mid portion of the upper surface 130 of the shroud 68 intermediate a pair of openings 132 provided therein for reception of the telco line terminals 70. The slot 128 is essentially in the shape of an inverted "T" defined by shouldered ribs 134 to prevent outward movement of the locking member 118. The bottom surface of the slot 128, however, contains an irregular shape which includes oppositely facing shoulder surfaces 136 and 138, respectively, and an inclined surface 140, all of which cooperate to regulate the movement of the locking member 118 with respect to the slot.
The locking member 118, as best depicted in FIG. 11, comprises an elongated body containing a longitudinal groove 142 on each side for reception in the slot 128 in cooperation with the ribs 134. The relationship between the ribs 134 and the grooves 142 is such that serrations 144 formed along the upper edge of the body are positioned sufficiently beyond the adjacent upper shroud surface 130 to facilitate grasping of the locking member by one's thumb to effect its movement along the slot 128.
The back end of the locking member 118 contains a downwardly extending projection 146 defining a forwardly facing shoulder 148 which cooperates with shoulder surface 136 on the shroud 68 for limiting the extended movement of the locking member with respect to the shroud. Conversely, the forward end of the locking member 118 is formed with a downwardly extending finger 150 which, due to its inclined and spaced disposition with respect to the adjacent portion of the body, renders it flexible. Consequently, cooperation between the flexible finger 150 and the portion 152 of the slot bottom surface intermediate the shoulder 138 and the inclined surface 140 imposes an upward bias on the locking member 118 so that it is snugly received in the slot 128. The backwardly facing end surface 154 of the finger 150 is adapted to engage the shoulder 138 on the bottom surface of the slot 128 to define the limit of retracted movement of the locking member 118 within the slot. When the locking member 118 is in its fully extended, or locking position, the flexible finger 150 engages the inclined surface 140 on the slot surface whereupon the flexure in the finger is relaxed and stressing of the member reduced thereby.
The locking finger 116 is located at the leading end of the locking member 118 and is formed as an upwardly offset extension of the locking member body. As best shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the extent of offset of the locking finger 116 is such as to define a space between it and the adjacent portion of the security cover 90 to enable the arm to extend across the padlock bail 124, thus to define the base structure element with which the bail cooperates to produce its locking function to prevent opening the security cover. It will be appreciated that, when the locking member is moved to its retracted limit, defined by abutment of the end surface 154 on finger 150 with shoulder 138 on the slot surface, the locking finger 116 no longer extends across the padlock bail 124. Thus, the padlock 102 is incapable of performing its locking function between the cover 90 and a base structure element and the cover can thereby be pivoted to an open position regardless of the padlock being secured and locked in place about the padlock retainer member 104 on the cover. In order to facilitate unencumbered movement of the cover 90 past the locking finger 116 on the retracted locking member 118, the face of the free end of the cover is desirably formed with a vertical slot 156.
As will be appreciated, the benefits of the present invention are realized when network terminal modules 12 incorporating the invention are operatively positioned in the network interface apparatus 10 and attached to the panel 16' of the enclosure housing 14. With a single module 12 mounted to the panel 16' or, more commonly, a plurality of modules similarly mounted in stacked side-by-side array and with the locking member 118 moved to its extended position in which the locking finger 116 extends across the padlock bail 124, the telco cover 42 is pivoted to its closed condition and secured therein by threadedly connecting the cap 46 to the post 48. With the telco cover 42 so-disposed, the endpieces 112 of the padlock retainer members 104 are received in recesses 159 that may be formed at longitudinally spaced locations along the free edge of the cover so that it not only encloses and prevents access to the telco portion 34 of the housing, including the line terminals 70 in the shroud 68 but also overlies and thereby prevents access to the locking member 118 so that the locking member cannot be moved to its retracted position. Consequently, when the main closure cover 28 of the housing 14 is opened by a subscriber, or the like, access to the subscriber terminals 78 in a concerned module 12 can be achieved only by the unlocking and removal of the padlock 102 from the retainer member 104. On the other hand, should access to the subscriber terminals 78, or to any other elements enclosed by the security cover 90, be desired by a telco installer, or the like, such access can be readily obtained by the opening of the telco cover 42 through use of the authorized driver for the threaded cap 46, followed by movement of the now-accessible locking member 118 to its retracted position. With the locking member 118 retracted, the locking finger 116 is removed from its overlying disposition with respect to the padlock bail 124 and the cover 90 can be pivoted to its open position upon depression of the actuator 98 to release the connection between the snap latch 94 and the lip 96 on the base structure 52.
A particular benefit is derived from the construction by virtue of the space, indicated as A in FIG. 7, between the downwardly projected portion of the endpiece 112 and the facing surface of the cover 90 being less than the diameter of the bail 124, whereby the padlock 102 will be retained on the cover when the cover is moved to its open position by an authorized telephone company installer following opening of the telco cover 42. Due to flexibility existent in the lock retainer arm 110, the padlock 102 can be readily removed from its attached condition on the cover 90 by simply forcibly pulling the lock in a direction to cause the bail 124 to elastically displace the retainer arm 110 enabling removal of the padlock from the cover, as, for example, if a subscriber moves from the premises without removing the padlock.
The described organization also provides, as an added security feature, a device for supplementing the locking capability of the snap latch 94 in engagement with the lip 96 on base structure 52 in order to prevent unauthorized opening of the cover 90 by applying sufficient upward force to displace the latch with respect to the lip and fracture of the locking finger 116. Thus, the locking finger 116 is provided with a pair of oppositely extending projections 158 which increase the amount of surface area on the locking finger and thereby strengthen the interface between the locking finger as deflected upwardly by bail 124 and the adjacent surface 113 of the endpiece 112 of lock retainer arm 110. More importantly, however, the inturned flanges 120 on the endpiece 112 are particularly located to coact with the projections 158 on the locking finger 116 in order to enhance the locking capability of the apparatus by coupling tensile forces therebetween.
Reference is made to FIGS. 10A and 10B of the drawing, of which the former illustrates the relationship of the respective elements of the apparatus when a downwardly directed closing force is imposed upon the cover 90, thereby compressing the elastomeric gasket 67. FIG. 10b, on the other hand, illustrates the apparatus elements when the closing force has been removed from the cover and the gasket 67 therefore expanded to place the cover in an "at rest" position with the flanges 120 positioned in substantial rearward alignment with the projections 158 to obstruct the projections and thereby inhibit retrograde movement of the locking member 118.
Advantageously, the projections 158 may each be formed on their leading face with an inclined surface indicated as 159 capable of engaging the forward face of the flange 120 in order to depress the cover against the force of the gasket 67 as the locking member 118 is moved to extend the finger 116 across the bail 124. The cooperative effect produced by the substantial parallelism between the rear faces 160 of the projections 158 and the forward faces 162 of the flanges 120 prevents the locking member 118 from being accidentally retracted, as for example, due to exposure to vibrations, or the like. This cooperative effect also serves to prevent forcible opening of the security cover 90 which might otherwise occur if finger 116 were overstressed and deformed. The coupling between rear faces 160 of projections 158 and the forward faces 162 of flanges 120 prevents retraction of the locking finger 116 from endpiece 112, even when the locking finger is severely overstressed by an effort to open cover 90 while the padlock is in place.
FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the locking member, indicated by numeral 118', is mounted for rotational movement on the upper surface 130 of the shroud 68. The mounting is effected by a fixed pivot pin 164 that penetrates the shroud surface between the line terminal openings 132. The locking member 118' is formed at its forward end with an offset locking finger 116' adapted to overlie the bail of a padlock (not shown) that is attached to the cover 90 about the padlock retainer member 104' as hereinbefore described. At its rear end the member 118' may be provided with an upturned flange or tab 166 to facilitate grasping the member in order to rotate it.
The operation and effect of this embodiment of the invention is substantially the same as that of the previously described embodiment, except that linear movement of the locking member 118 is replaced by rotational movement of the locking member 118'. Thus, with the locking finger 116' extending across the bail 124 of a padlock in the same manner as the earlier locking finger 116, and the module, indicated here as 12', installed in the same manner in the housing 14, the telco cover 42 in its closed position will cover all of the locking member 118' except for the locking finger 116'. Consequently, since the padlock is restrained in place by the locking finger 116� and since access to the locking member 118' is prevented by the telco cover 42, only by unlocking the padlock and removing it can the cover 90 be opened. On the other hand, the opening of the telco cover 42 by the authorized manipulation of its threaded cap 46 exposes the locking member 118' which can be rotated on pivot pin 164 to displace the locking finger 116' thereby freeing the cover 90 for pivotal movement to its open position.
It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
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|Corning Cable Systems Llc
|Platforms and systems for fiber optic cable attachment
|Feb 18, 2010
|Jun 16, 2015
|Ccs Technology, Inc.
|Holding device for a cable or an assembly for use with a cable
|Nov 5, 2010
|Jul 7, 2015
|Corning Cable Systems Llc
|Fiber optic housings configured to accommodate fiber optic modules/cassettes and fiber optic panels, and related components and methods
|Nov 23, 2010
|Jul 7, 2015
|Corning Cable Systems Llc
|Apparatuses and related components and methods for expanding capacity of fiber optic housings
|May 24, 2013
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|Fiber body holder and strain relief device
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|Feb 2, 2016
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|Fiber-optic-module trays and drawers for fiber-optic equipment
|Oct 26, 2011
|Mar 8, 2016
|Corning Cable Systems Llc
|Fiber optic module for limited space applications having a partially sealed module sub-assembly
|Mar 30, 2005
|Oct 12, 2006
|Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
|Guard for terminals in a terminal block
|Dec 28, 2005
|Jun 28, 2007
|Vo Chanh C
|Network interface device, apparatus, and methods
|Dec 28, 2005
|Jul 12, 2007
|Vo Chanh C
|Network interface device, apparatus, and methods
|Dec 28, 2005
|Jul 12, 2007
|Vo Chanh C
|Network interface device, apparatus, and methods
|Dec 28, 2005
|Jul 12, 2007
|Vo Chanh C
|Network interface device, apparatus, and methods
|Mar 25, 2009
|May 6, 2010
|Mark Steven Curtis
|Building entrance terminal box with modular panels
|Feb 27, 2009
|Sep 2, 2010
|Cooke Terry L
|Hinged Fiber Optic Module Housing and Module
|Apr 2, 2014
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|Franklin B White
|Padlockable collars for protectively surrounding and limiting access to portions of threaded fasteners
|Dec 27, 2006
|Jul 12, 2007
|Corning Cable Systems Llc
|Network interface device, apparatus, and methods
|U.S. Classification
|379/413.04, 379/397, 439/304, 379/445, 379/412, 439/133
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 21, 1993
Owner name: GTE CONTROL DEVICES INCORPORATED, MAINE
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|Sep 22, 1993
Owner name: GTE CONTROL DEVICES OF PUERTO RICO INCORPORATED, C
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GTE CONTROL DEVICES OF PUERTO RICO, INCORPORATED;REEL/FRAME:006727/0903
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|Jun 11, 1996
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|Aug 27, 2007
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Year of fee payment: 12


text:
Hicksville, Long Island wife and mom Caputo isn't a typical medium, a major contributing reason to the success of her show (which just began its sixth season). There's More to Life Than This imparts its lessons with the same down-to-earth informality that make her show both popular and accessible. Readers open to its message will welcome its calming words about the afterlife and the peace that the former living find there. Now in trade paperback and NOOK Book. (P.S. Readers of the hardcover edition praised it for focusing on the healing of the living rather than simply communicating with the deceased.)
There's More to Life Than This: Healing Messages, Remarkable Stories, and Insight About the Other Side from the Long Island Mediumby Theresa Caputo
View All Available Formats & Editions
Beloved medium Theresa Caputo, star of the hit television show/i>/i>
For fans of TLC's Long Island Medium and anyone interested in the big questions of life, death, and finding out what's important in between, New York Times bestselling author and medium Theresa Caputo shares how she discovered her gift and her many encounters with Spirit.
Beloved medium Theresa Caputo, star of the hit television show Long Island Medium, opens the door to her world and invites you to experience her exceptional gift of communicating with those who've crossed over to the Other Side. The always funny, frank, and down-to-earth medium—whether she's talking to her family, the local butcher, or the souls of those who've passed on—began communicating with Spirit at the age of four, but didn't fully accept her gift until she was thirty-three years old. She had a good life as a busy wife and working mom, but also suffered from chronic anxiety that, as it turned out, came from ignoring her abilities. Once Theresa began channeling, she realized that she felt much better after delivering a message from Spirit and releasing that energy. Since then she' s used her extraordinary gift to help people heal from the loss of their loved ones.
Theresa feels that it's her purpose to make us all aware that there is more to life than what we see here in the physical world. She wants you to know that your deceased loved ones are safe and at peace, and that they're now with you in a different way—watching over you, loving you, and assisting you from the Other Side. She also wants you to realize that the unexplainable things you sense and feel from these souls are real, and that it's healthy and essential to acknowledge them.
There's More to Life Than This lends insight on how Theresa's mediumship works, what happens to your soul when you die, what Spirit says Heaven is like, what the deceased want you to know, the importance of living a positive life, and the many roles that your family, friends, angels, guides, souls of faith, and God play here and in the afterlife. It also explores how to safely connect with Spirit, so that you can recognize when your loved ones are reaching out.
Through Theresa's personal story, compelling anecdotes, and fascinating client readings, she teaches us about how she communicates with Spirit and helps us to understand and appreciate the important lessons and touching messages that we're meant to embrace every day.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
- 9781476727042
- Publisher:
- Atria Books
- Publication date:
- 10/01/2013
- Sold by:
- Format:
- NOOK Book
- Pages:
- 256
- Sales rank:
- 30,902
- File size:
Read an Excerpt
There's More to Life Than This
Me and Spirit: A Match Made in Heaven
I wasn't born in the back of some gypsy wagon, and I didn't grow up reading fortunes on the Bayou. Listen, the only crystals on me are the Swarovski ones covering my Louboutins. I may not be your idea of a "typical" medium, but dead people don't care. They've been bugging me to deliver their messages since I was a child, and that's what I feel compelled and blessed to do.
I grew up on Long Island in a town called Hicksville, with my mom, dad, and younger brother, Michael. Mom was a bookkeeper and my dad was the public works supervisor for Nassau County. We were extremely close and still are. I was actually raised for most of my life in the house next door to the one I live in now. We have a gate in the back that connects our two yards, and Dad likes to use it so he can futz around in both our tomato gardens. When people come for readings, they sit at my dining room table, which looks out onto the back. I always say, "If you see someone out there, it's not a dead person walking around. It's just my dad!"
Growing up, I had the most loving, happy, and seemingly normal childhood. I was on a traveling soccer team and local bowling league. I loved playing with my dolls' hair—I always thought I'd be a hairdresser, go figure. I had nice friends, got good grades, and spent a lot of free time with my family. I was always with my cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. On Thursdays, we'd have spaghetti and meatballs at Nanny and Pop's house; on Saturdays, I'd paint ceramics with Auntie G; and on Sundays, our whole extended family would go to Gram and Gramp's house after church to spend the afternoon eating, laughing, and telling stories.
It was like the Long Island Italian version of Leave It to Beaver, but with a twist that literally kept us all up at night. I used to have the most frightening dreams, which made no sense given that my days were so carefree. These were actually my first memories of seeing, feeling, and hearing Spirit, though I didn't know that's what was happening. My first vivid experience happened when I was just four years old. At the time, we lived in my dad's childhood home, which is right near the Hicksville Gregory Museum, a former 1915 courthouse that also had jail cells for prisoners in it. Some people think old buildings like prisons, with their history of pain and suffering, can hold on to Spirit. What a place for me of all people to grow up around! Anyway, I'd have a recurring dream where, from a window on the second floor of our house, I'd watch a man pace on the sidewalk out front. He'd chant my name, Theresa Brigandi, Theresa Brigandi, Theresa Brigandi . . . over, and over, and over again. Can you imagine how scary that was to a freaking four-year-old? I never saw the man's face, but he was always hunched over and carrying a stick with a bandanna sack on the end. He wore ragged clothes and looked like a hobo.
Spirit later told me that this dream was actually a visitation, and I now believe this "man" to be one of my spirit guides for that time in my life. This doesn't mean the spirit guide is literally a bum. It's more like those Bible stories where people invite in the poor, and then later find out the person's an angel. I now believe a hobo is the unassuming image that my guide took so that I'd understand the Sunday school reference and feel okay when he called my name. I was raised Roman Catholic and still practice this today, so I think my guide presented himself through my frame of reference, a little like how Spirit shows me signs and symbols during a reading now. They do it in a way that makes sense to me, so that it's easy for me to interpret the message.
When I was four, a hobo equaled a gentle, godly man—at least when I was awake. At night, seeing, hearing, and sensing one made me cry out like I was being violently attacked. Again, I don't think I was experiencing negative Spirit, and I wasn't dreaming that Spirit pushed me around or anything; the dreams themselves weren't "bad." I was terrified because I'd feel Spirit's energy, while seeing and hearing them talk to me, in this alarmingly real and personal way.
My inconsolable screams rattled my family more than what caused them, and my social life became limited. I couldn't go to slumber parties or sleep at my grandmother's house without wondering what I'd feel next. I didn't feel safe anywhere but at home, and even that wasn't a given. Besides the hobo, I also saw my great-grandmother on my mom's side of the family. She'd died four years before I was born, and I didn't realize who it was until much later when I saw a picture of her. But I'll never forget her standing at the foot of my bed—she was short with dark hair and wearing a housedress. I'd scream like a crazy person when I saw her too. Poor lady was no three-headed monster, though I sure reacted like she was!
In the morning, I'd forget most of these night terrors or how long they went on. I'm told they'd pass when my mom or dad would turn on the light and rush into the room. So did this make Spirit leave? I don't know. But after a while, Mom made up a prayer to help me keep Spirit at arm's length. It went, "Dear God, please keep me safe through the night. Bless . . ."—and then I'd name all the people in our lives, and those in Heaven. And wouldn't you know, every time I said that prayer before bed, I'd sleep soundly, and so would my parents. I continued this when we eventually moved into our new home, the one my parents live in now, though I always kept the hall light on.
Even when I traveled with my family, I never got a break from Spirit. We took a lot of vacations together, including an annual camping trip with my grandparents for the entire summer. Most people at the site were lucky to have a tent with a Bunsen burner; we had this awesome trailer with a shower, kitchen, a screened-in porch so the bugs wouldn't get at our food, everything. My grandmother made scrambled eggs and French toast in the mornings, and in the afternoons, we'd have bicycle races and go tire swinging into the lake. At night, we'd play pinball at the rec hall, roast marshmallows, and sing campfire songs. I was a regular Girl Scout! But no matter how much fun we had during the day, or how relaxed I felt, my night terrors would strike like they did at home. Only this time the whole area heard me! My grandparents even warned our fellow campers in advance—if you hear someone screaming bloody murder, it doesn't mean there's a bear or maniac on the loose! It's just Theresa having a night terror. One time my parents wanted me to sleep with them in a tent, and I was deathly afraid of it. I felt safer in the camper, especially since I was seeing shadows against the canvas. I was so adamant about staying out that I kicked and screamed, and gave my father a fat lip. He was so mad. I was this close to knocking over the lantern and setting the whole tent on fire.
Though I handled Spirit's appearances much better during the day, they were still a surprise. For instance, I clearly remember seeing three-dimensional people walk in front of the TV. I'd be sitting on our green tweed sofa, watching Romper Room, when a person would pass by and then fade out. One time this happened when I had a babysitter over, and I asked her if she'd just seen what I did. She said no and gave me a funny look, so I played it off. I kind of wondered if I was seeing things or had an overly active imagination, but I didn't dwell on it. It's like when you see a shadow out of the corner of your eye, or stare at a light too long and then watch a yellow shape float across the room—you assume that you're just seeing things and don't think much of it. I also remember getting a kitchen set for Easter one year as a kid, arranging my pots a certain way when I was done playing house, and when I came back to them in the morning, they were in a completely different spot. That must've been Spirit too. Listen, I know my brother, Michael, didn't touch them!
Who's to Say What's Normal?
As I got older, I began to feel anxious and strange in my body. I couldn't put my finger on what could be causing it. I'd say to Mom, I don't feel right. I don't feel like I belong. I feel different. I felt as if there was something going on that needed to be explained. One of the few places I actually felt safe and secure was in church. I even played guitar in a church folk group. God's house was the only other home, other than my own, where I felt peaceful and comfortable in my skin. I often say that if I weren't a medium, I could've been a schizophrenic or a nun. Seriously, sometimes those felt like my two most realistic options. Imagine? My parents spoiled me with so much love, but that didn't take away from the fact that I sensed something about me was off.
Sometimes I'd ask God, Why is this happening? Why do I feel so afraid all the time? But I'd never get mad or angry at Him, or lose my beliefs. That wasn't how I was raised. I don't like to use the word "religious," but I did come from a strong faith family. I was taught to say prayers at night and before every meal. My parents also had an open mind about all spirituality. It's funny, because not all Catholics do. But to us, faith, spirituality . . . it all comes from God.
When I wasn't at church, my anxiety could get so bad that I didn't want to leave the house. I didn't know when I'd sense or feel something, at any given moment of the day. I realized that every place I went came with a different sensation, and I sometimes felt like I was being watched. When I'd tell this to Mom, she'd sit me down and say, "Your safe place is you." I could go anywhere, because I was my grounding force. For a long time, that mind-set worked.
Even still, I was clearly seeing and sensing things that other people weren't. When I was out with my friends at the mall or the bowling alley, I'd ask if they saw a man walk by or heard someone call their name, because I secretly had, and they'd go, "Uh, no. What are you talking about?" Or sometimes I'd receive a message, which I'd assume was just my own random thought and not realize that it had any meaning, or that I'd even thought of anything, until it was validated later. For example, if I was on my way to the fair, I might hear a voice tell me, "Don't eat the cotton candy." I'd ignore it, and then a friend would tell me the cotton candy made her sick. But even then, I just assumed that I got better hunches about people and situations than maybe some friends or strangers did.
Again, I believed that I was my safe place. So seeing, hearing, and sensing something around me all the time became my normal. Doctors have always said that our bodies are built to adapt; if a feeling or experience goes on for long enough, the brain learns to disregard it, work around it, or just treat it as normal. I know now that seeing and sensing Spirit isn't most people's typical experience, but it was routine for me, and I didn't have too many people disputing it. As a child, my family and friends just laughed when I'd occasionally say strange things, but never pursued the subject much further. (Mom recently joked that my abilities give a whole new meaning to when I used to say there was a monster, imaginary friend, or ghost in my room!) And for as many times as friends didn't agree with what I'd heard or seen, I did have family who had similar experiences because they're also sensitive. In fact, my cousin Johnny Boy used to jokingly call me and my cousin Lisa "freaks," and nicknamed us "Para" and "Noid," when we told him we'd see or feel things. We also used to go shopping separately and come home with the same outfits! But at the time, all Lisa and I knew was that we had unusual, shared experiences that made encounters with what we now know is Spirit just part of our lives. As for my smart-aleck cousin Johnny, he was living in my grandmother's house ten years later and saw her standing in the hall when he was coming out of the shower. Who's laughing now?
When my peers became mouthy teenagers, things began to change. Between the ages of about twelve and fourteen, I began to feel less comfortable with what was happening around me, mostly because of how people reacted to my observations. My family was still blasé about stuff I said, but when I'd casually ask if a friend saw or felt something, they'd be like, "No, that's weird, there's nobody there. Nobody hears or sees things the way you do!" What once seemed normal now wasn't, so I decided to block my experiences out altogether. I didn't say a special prayer to make Spirit stop or anything; I just didn't acknowledge Spirit's attempts to communicate with me. Keep in mind, this was before every TV channel had a ghost-hunting show and John Edward was a household name. People didn't talk about this stuff. Nobody, including me, could've guessed what was really going on. It was never part of a comfortable, mainstream conversation.
By the time I was sixteen years old, I was lucky that I hadn't lost a lot of loved ones, but this also means that I didn't have recognizable Spirit visiting me. When Nanny, my father's mom, died, I was devastated. We were very close, and everyone missed her a lot. After she passed, my dad's older sister, whom we call Auntie, had a psychic come to Nanny's house. I didn't know why at the time, but I now think it was to get in touch with her. I didn't want to go, and I felt a little afraid—mostly because I didn't know what a psychic really was or did. But I knew I'd feel safe at Nanny's house, so I went anyway. And for the first time in a long time I didn't block Spirit.
I felt Nanny's energy and soul near the window, and my family kept asking me why I was by the drapes when everyone else was at the kitchen table. They also asked me whom I was talking to, though I don't remember what I was saying. (It's similar to how I can't recall most of what Spirit says after I channel for others.) After a minute of this, my family had to interrupt me in their usual, teasing way. They kept it lighthearted and didn't freak out.
"Theresa, who are you talking to?"
"I'm talking to Nanny."
"Sure you are. Nanny's dead."
"I know she's dead, but I'm talking to her."
Auntie and my cousins might have been confused but didn't make it a big deal. I was known to blurt out crazy things, but was this any stranger than having a psychic over for coffee? They were clearly open to spiritual conversations that I hadn't considered yet.
When I think about this memory now, I can physically smell Nanny's house and see everything in it—the plastic-covered furniture, marble end tables, her sparkly dining room chandelier, a painting of The Last Supper, and those gold drapes. It was very gaudy Italian. And as I tell this story, I get a vision, like a quick filmstrip, of Nanny standing at the stove, smoking her cigarette all the way down to a really long ash that's dangling over a bubbling spaghetti pot. She'd let that cigarette burn until only the filter was left, and yet the ashes never fell into her gravy. She loved her jewelry, and in my memory, she's wearing all these diamonds. Like me, you know?
After my little encounter with Nanny, I went back to completely ignoring Spirit. My uncle Julie died during my senior year of high school, and around that time, my anxieties began to get much worse than they'd been. I developed random phobias, many of which had to do with feeling claustrophobic. The night terrors had long past, but I still had restless sleep habits. Instead of waking up screaming, I'd jump out of bed, feeling like I couldn't breathe to save my life.
Then Along Came Larry
My eighteenth year wasn't a total disaster, though. That's when I met my husband, Larry! When Auntie had the psychic over that first time I saw Nanny's soul, he told me I was going to meet someone much older than me with a beard and mustache. Back then, I thought the psychic was being a wacko, since I was dating someone at the time and didn't even like facial hair. But two years later, I met Larry, and you better believe he had a beard, mustache, and was eleven years older.
It was love at first sight. Larry had this awesome hair that was tight on the sides, fluffy on top, and long in the back. He was also a sharp dresser and had a nice body. He looked like a clean-cut biker! He says I was a cute little sparkplug who made jokes and lit up a room. Larry worked for his family's business, an oil company, and I worked part-time in the customer service department. I never went to college because I was too afraid to leave my family and comfort zone. I dreamed of becoming a hairdresser or legal secretary, but that meant commuting into Manhattan for the good jobs, which was way too overwhelming for me—trains, elevators, skyscrapers, traffic jams . . . that was not my world.
Larry tells me he used to look forward to coming to work to see what I was wearing, because I was in my Madonna stage. I used to wear skintight pants, big belts, a fishnet top that draped off my shoulder, and fingerless gloves. Like in that movie Desperately Seeking Susan! But just because I was distracted by love doesn't mean my anxiety went away. I tried hard to suppress it, but that only made things worse. I didn't want Larry to think I was crazy, and I was still occasionally wondering if I was. Sometimes I saw figures or heard things, but at this point I was in such denial that I was fully convinced my mind was playing tricks on me.
I decided to see a therapist, who, session after session, basically said there was nothing wrong with me. I'd tell him, "Ben, there is something wrong with me. I don't feel right." He'd ask me all about my childhood, and I'd explain that it was idyllic. My friends and family now? Great. Dating? Fun and exciting. Work? Fine! The best cause we could find for my chronic unease was that I came from an anxious family, so maybe this kind of thing was genetic. But the guy couldn't give me one good medical or psychological reason why I felt as severely bad as I did.
I couldn't keep my anxiety attacks and laundry list of phobias from Larry for too long, especially when we were in the car or other enclosed spaces. I seemed to feel my worst when my mind was at rest. If we were on the Long Island Expressway during a traffic jam, I'd get a frown-y look on my face knowing that I was about to freak out. Then I'd scream bloody murder, and even if the car was moving, I'd beg and plead with Larry to pull over so I could get out right away. I even did this on double dates with other couples in the car! My anxiety was not shy. The panic attacks would eventually pass, and it helped that Larry always kept his cool. He didn't know what was causing me so much stress, the same way I didn't, but I'm just glad he didn't get spooked and leave.
Larry and I got married when I was twenty-two. Right away, I'd startle him in the middle of the night. I'd wake up yelling, jump out of bed, and run around the room yelling his name and crying for help. Then the moment would pass, and I'd come back to bed and forget it by morning. I talked in my sleep too. I never let Larry pull the covers over our heads, not even as a joke. Once he threw a blanket over us when we were watching TV, and I began screaming. He never did that again. But hey, Larry knew anxiety came with the package, and he loved me just the way I was.
In Sickness and in Health
My husband says that although I made us take the hospital stairs instead of the elevator when I was in labor with our son, Larry Jr., I was unusually calm and in control during childbirth. I was twenty-three when our first child was born. My anxiety went up and down after, but I generally felt better, now that I had the new responsibility of taking care of a child. I could even travel okay.
Ever since I was a junior in high school, I was always ashing a cigarette with my manicured fingertips. I never drank or did any type of narcotic, but smoking was my vice. I stopped when I found out I was pregnant with our son, but two or three years later, I went back to smoking when those familiar stress levels snuck back. I thought smoking cigarettes would relax me, even though it seemed to make my chest feel heavier, which only increased my anxiety.
I stopped smoking again when I got pregnant with Victoria, had her at twenty-seven, and went back. My anxieties became horrific. The worst they'd ever been. I can remember a horrifying incident at Disneyworld when I hadn't traveled in a while. We got to our hotel room with the kids, and I immediately started freaking out. My mom and aunt had to take the train from New York to meet us and calm me down. As if having a severe panic attack weren't bad enough, I also took it out on my husband. He says I needed a scapegoat. The kids had never seen me that bad and looked terrified to watch their mom unravel in front of their eyes.
In December 1999, I became deathly ill for no reason. Now, I am not a sick person, I don't do sick. Even when the kids were young and brought home nasty germs from school, I rarely caught their colds or flu. But this was the weirdest thing. I was getting ready for a wedding one morning and I was fine; then suddenly out of nowhere, I had a 104-degree temperature. My dad literally carried me to the doctor's office. I was on my back for two weeks, which was hard since my son, Larry, was nine and Victoria was five. My husband was a big help as usual, but it's not like I had the luxury of staying in bed. I don't even remember the first delirious week of all this. And during the second, I just lay there. I couldn't walk, eat, or go to the bathroom. I also couldn't smoke.
In hindsight, I believe God was detoxing my body during this time. Drugs, smoking, narcotics—all that stuff funks up your aura and mucks up your energy. And smoking, specifically, turns your aura gray. I stayed away from cigarettes when I got better. This doesn't mean I was a joy to live with. I remember Mom saying to me, "You're such a bitch without nicotine. Go back to smoking!" You know what I said back? "God's making me stop!"
That rationale came flying out of my mouth. I checked myself. Where did that come from? Why would I even say that? That's when I knew quitting was an act of God, because those words didn't come from my brain. And with that, I haven't touched a cigarette in thirteen years.
When I channel Spirit, I do it from a place of the highest good, and that requires my body, mind, and soul to be healthy and pure. Looking back, I wouldn't have been able to develop my abilities if I continued to fuel my body with anything negative, like cigarettes. But at the time, all I knew was that God wanted me to stop smoking. Certain foods began to make me ill too. Doritos and Wendy's made me feel dizzy and light-headed, like I couldn't focus. I hallucinated when I ate MSG. When I was pregnant with our son, Larry and I were walking out of a Chinese restaurant and had one of those surreal conversations that reminded me of when I was a kid.
"Hey, did you see that dog in the car?"
"What dog?"
"Don't you hear him barking?"
"Hon, there's no dog."
"It's a husky. He just winked at me!"
I later learned that Siberian huskies are considered to be very spiritual dogs, since they're so closely related to the wolf, which Native American tradition says is the highest spiritual teacher in the animal kingdom. I suspect the MSG helped trigger my vision because it's a chemical, and when people alter their chemistry, it can do some crazy stuff to their soul.
A Serendipitous Encounter
At twenty-eight, I was a hot mess. I'd just stopped smoking and my anxieties were nonstop. I didn't want to leave the house and was in a constant panic that something bad would happen if I did. My therapist called this "anticipatory anxiety," which is when you anticipate future events in a way that causes you to feel anxious, and that interferes with your ability to function in everyday life. The thought of going to work, the butcher, or a birthday party made my mind reel.
One night, Mom had a candle party—like a Tupperware thing, but with scented candles—and I decided to go at the last minute. She lived next door, so this I could do. Mom's friend Pat Longo is a spiritual healer and works with people who have physical or emotional ailments, including chronic anxiety; she also teaches classes about living a balanced, positive, and fulfilled life that includes meditation and healing. Like me, Pat also decided at the eleventh hour to go to Mom's event. All these last-minute decisions don't say much for her parties, do they!
I told Pat about my anxieties and how sick I'd been, and though I'd known her for years—her son and my brother grew up together—she had no clue about the anxiety I suffered as a child, and certainly nothing about how I sensed Spirit. She put her hands over my head and began to channel healing energy from God. For three weeks after, I felt so calm that I wanted to do it again. But when I called to make an appointment, Pat told me I didn't need another healing, that there was nothing for her to mend within me. She asked if I wanted to take her spiritual awareness class instead to give me some perspective and balance in my life. She suspected Spirit communication was causing my distress, but didn't tell me that right away.
Whatever Pat did to me made me feel better, so I decided to go for a class—why not? I also trusted her with my well-being because my family had known hers for years. If Pat were some random spiritual healer, I wouldn't have been able to believe in her or her evaluation of me. I put on a good face for friends and family, but I was still fragile on the inside and wouldn't have felt safe with just anyone. I also knew I'd feel secure in Pat's classes because my mom had taken her course a few years before. She was actually one of Pat's first students, though she only went to learn more about feeling positive and healthy from the inside out. My dad and us kids used to rib her, like, "Oooh. You're going to your voodoo class tonight." Pat says Mom was starting to touch the surface of her own abilities by the end, but she put her spiritual energy into working with the church instead of developing them any further on her own.
After that first night in Pat's class, I got sidetracked and didn't go back for, um, a year. When I finally did, the classes were held on Wednesdays, and every week there would be a downpour. One of my phobias was driving in the rain, so I cut class for that whole first month. But in my heart, I wanted to make this work, so I practiced driving in thunderstorms, up and down the block. I was ready to go back to Pat's the next month, though it continued to rain every Wednesday.
I think Spirit made it rain to help me break through my fear, on my way to honing my gift. This shouldn't surprise me; it always rains during milestone events! There was a monsoon during my son's baby shower and my daughter's Communion, and Hurricane Hugo hit on my wedding day. It wiped out St. Thomas Island, and my honeymoon was canceled. Even when I taped The Tonight Show a few years ago, which was intimidating and such a big deal for me, it poured cats and dogs. Leno's producers assured me that it never rains that much in LA in October, and wouldn't you know, the minute I was done shooting at five p.m., the sun came out.
I'm a What?!?
"You're a medium," Pat told me during class one night. A lot of people were discovering their own gifts, and this was mine. "You have the ability to speak to dead people. If you can learn to control the energy around you, you can learn to control and understand your anxiety better."
This was the first time I'd ever considered that my anxiety and all that stuff I saw when I was a kid, and forced myself to ignore, could be related. Who knew there were real, physical consequences to blocking what I'd been seeing, hearing, and sensing?
Pat explained that one reason ignoring Spirit gave me anxiety is that I channel Spirit through my chakras. Ideally, it enters through the crown, or head, chakra, flows through my entire body, and then releases through my words. But when Spirit was trying to deliver a message, it would channel through my crown, and I'd block it in my chest, which would cause my heart to race or give me those crazy palpitations. My chest would also feel heavy and compressed, as if an elephant were napping on it. I don't even know much about all the chakras, just that I need to keep the crown chakra, third eye, throat chakra, heart chakra, solar plexus chakra, spleen chakra, and root chakra aligned and balanced so I don't freak out.
Pat also said the type of channeling I do was causing me to have panic attacks. There are lots of ways that mediums experience Spirit. A "clairvoyant," for instance, mostly sees visions, and a "clairaudient" primarily uses her hearing sense. Pat explained that I'm "empathic," which means I feel Spirit most, and use my other senses to fill in the blanks. For instance, a message might begin with me feeling very restricted in the throat area, which means there is a soul that would like to tell me that they passed via a death connected to the throat, that they were unable to communicate prior to their passing, or they did not get to say good-bye (one symbol for me can mean a lot of things—more on that later). But if I felt my throat close without knowing that this was Spirit's way of delivering a message, all I'd know is that I felt like I was choking, which triggered a panic attack.
So I'd be having a normal conversation with someone at the grocery store, say, and all of a sudden I'd feel like I couldn't breathe or that I was being strangled. I now know that's Spirit trying to communicate with me, but fifteen years ago, I was just like, I have to get out of here! As I said earlier, this could happen even when I was asleep. As soon as I removed myself from the situation or woke up, I was good, but it was a quick fix. I also thought some places felt better than others because I had random anxieties, but it was really the energy changing in each spot, often based on Spirit's presence. As for the phobias, I think they're usually about associations, quiet moments, or past lives. I may have either felt Spirit in that exact place, or a similar one, which is why anticipating it made me nervous. My Catskills camping memory contributed to my tent phobia, and riding in cars or being silent in an elevator forces me to sit still without distractions, which is when I'm most open to Spirit. During a past-life regression, I also learned I was a prisoner on a ship during a torrential storm, which explains why I'm afraid of rain. I could go on, but I'll spare you all my phobias and explanations! Suffice it to say, all these situations made me feel out of control, and so all of these things caused me to panic.
As for my anxious family members? I suspect they're also sensitive, since I believe my gift is genetic. They're also very faith-based people, which increases your awareness of Spirit.
I continued to attend Pat's courses every Wednesday, as Larry watched the kids. I felt calm at her house, since I knew that if anything scary happened, Pat could make me feel better. In class, I began to give people messages from loved ones, and right away, channeling made me feel normal. But I was afraid to try it anywhere else. I still needed Pat as my safety net.
Physically and emotionally, I began to slowly heal. My anxieties became less dramatic. Larry saw a difference in me, and I told him channeling Spirit seemed to be a big part of the answer. He was like, "That's cool, hon. If you think talking to dead people makes you feel better, keep doing it." Larry was also raised Catholic, so I'm not sure he believed in Spirit, and was more likely appeasing me, but he was supportive, which is what ultimately mattered.
Six days a week when I wasn't in class, I had to cope on my own. Since I hadn't fully accepted my gift yet, I was still prone to the occasional meltdown. I remember when my first cousin Lance got married, we planned to go but at the last minute, I could not get in the car. The kids were dressed, and Larry had mapped out the fastest route. But I didn't want to drive that far, and my whole family was so upset. I paced for hours. Finally Larry said that if at any point I didn't want to continue, we could turn around and come home. I reluctantly agreed to go.
Cell phones were still new at the time, and I insisted on taking one in the car in case I needed to call Pat to talk me off a ledge. I remember hearing Faith Hill's new song "Breathe" and thinking, That's exactly what I need to do, just breathe. I made Larry play it over and over. I now think it was Spirit telling me to relax already.
When we pulled into the hotel parking lot, my whole family was waiting out front. I remember seeing Gram, who was alive at the time, standing at the window waving at me. I can still see the smile on her face, as if it were yesterday. She died a few years ago, but whenever I get over anxiety-related hurdles—like taking a tour bus across the country or sitting in a tent in my backyard—Spirit makes me remember Gram standing at that window, beaming with pride.
Give Spirit an Inch . . .
To help control the energy around me, Pat taught me that I had to set some boundaries with Spirit that I still use today. I can't dictate which guides, angels, or dead people talk to me, or what they want to say, but I can control whether I acknowledge them and how I do that. So in the beginning, I said to Spirit, I'm going to set aside a time every day at four o'clock for you to communicate with me. I'm going to light my white candle to protect everything in God's light. I ask only for the highest good of all concerned. And I only want to channel souls that walk in God's white light. And you know what? For the most part, Spirit respected that, so I became more comfortable channeling too. We were developing a real give-and-take relationship.
Whatever I sensed while I was meditating, I wrote down on a pad of paper. Pat taught me how to do automatic writings, which is when you basically take dictation from Spirit. Channeling through the pen is an easy way to speak with Spirit, especially when you aren't fully comfortable with "hearing" messages in your mind and can't always tell the difference between your thoughts and Spirit's. You'll see me do automatic writing during readings on TV with my little notepad, since it helps me focus; when I channel, I'll scribble down words that Spirit wants me to use to make a point.
Another major thing I asked Spirit to do was stop presenting itself to me as three-dimensional people—an image like you or me. When I first started reading others, I'd be brushing my teeth, look up, and suddenly see a man standing behind me in the mirror. That was so startling! So I told my guides that if I was supposed to embrace this gift, they'd have to find other ways to show me things. From then on, I saw Spirit as figures in shadow instead. I don't mean negative "shadow people," or the scary dark masses that whisked away the bad guys' souls in Ghost. The images I see are like silhouettes, or like a chalk outline at a crime scene but filled in with a cloudy shadow you can see through. Its energy feels very positive. In fact, because I only want to serve the highest good, I don't see negative Spirit and try to avoid them at all costs. I don't like Halloween parties or historic haunted houses, and you couldn't pay me enough to touch a Ouija board. In the same vein, I'm always asking that things be protected in God's white light, so I never even get negative information during readings. Only good things, that's all I want.
I began to develop a "vocabulary" with Spirit to understand the signs and sensations they were sending me. I took on more of Pat's clients and began sharing the unbelievable, moving, and often hilarious stories with Larry. He asked lots of questions, and I could tell he was becoming more invested in what I was doing. Frankly, we were both amazed I could speak to these souls in the first place! In a lot of ways, I was on a clear spiritual path, but we were growing in it together.
Holy Sheet! I Really Am a Medium!
Though I only liked giving readings in class, one day I let it happen in real life. I was in Bed Bath & Beyond, and I remember feeling like I couldn't take a breath. I'd established with Spirit that this is a sign that someone's passed from the chest—heart, lungs, breasts, a filling up of fluid, or a drowning even. At one time, I would've gone into a tailspin—abandoned my cart in the middle of the aisle, hightailed it out of the store, sped through stop signs crying, and beat myself up for the whole drama once I got home. But that day in BB&B, I told myself I'd be okay. I thought about what my mom used to say: Your safe place is you. And then I heard a man's voice.
"Tell my wife I like the ones on the left," he said.
Nobody was there.
Just then, an older woman came up to me with two sets of sheets. She told me she'd just lost her husband after forty years of marriage and was redoing the bedroom. She couldn't decide which sheets he'd have liked better. I suggested the ones on the left, and it made her so happy.
I didn't tell the woman that her husband told me what to say. I like my baby steps, if you can't tell! But at that moment, I knew Spirit would continue to place people in my path who needed to hear messages from their loved ones, like this woman. I also believe my own Spirit guides were giving me my first real test, and I passed! The best bonus of all? My chest felt normal after delivering the message. I channeled, released the energy, and went on with my day.
After taking Pat's classes for five years, and reading her students, it was time to share my ability with others. I felt confident that what I was doing came from a higher power. There were also signs that made me feel I was being guided by the divine. I was thirty-three years old when I accepted my gift, and Jesus was thirty-three when he died. I live off Jerusalem Avenue. Pat suggested I make business cards and get a separate phone line for my venture. The last four digits of this number were 6444, which I thought was perfect because I was born in the month of June (6), and I believe 444 is a sign of the angels. But the day my phone was set to be turned on, the guy told me he had to change it. I was so bummed, until I realized that the last four digits were the sign of the cross. It's worth mentioning that one reason it took me so long to accept my gift was that I struggled with why I was chosen to have it in the first place. I kept thinking, Who am I? I'm no one special. Why was I chosen to do this? Why is this my journey? And being raised Catholic, you don't contact the dead. So I think Spirit was also sending me "religious" signs to assure me that what I was doing was okay and, in many ways, guided.
From the moment I began seeing clients in my home, my family was laid back about it. If people asked my kids what their parents did for a living, they'd say, "Dad owns a business importing Italian foods, and Mom speaks to dead people." So natural, like I was a teacher or something. Larry also overheard some readings at the house and began coming with me to my small venues. After that, he said it was hard not to believe in what I did. He'd get especially impressed when Spirit had me talk about health or human anatomy, because I didn't go to college. I also don't read books, since reading relaxes my brain and clears my mind in a way that lets Spirit communicate with me, and then I can't focus on my book! So where would I learn this stuff, if it didn't come from Spirit?
Being a medium also helped validate a lot of "unusual" experiences for my husband. Larry saw his grandmother's soul when he was ten years old, but was never sure it was real. He shared a room with his brother, and she was standing at the foot of his bed. Larry thought it was his imagination, and actually forgot about it until I accepted my gift. He's also learned a lot about déjà vu. When Larry was young, he'd be in places he hadn't been before, though he had clear memories of them and couldn't explain why. Now, if he feels anything "strange"—like déjà vu, gut instinct, chills, good timing, coincidences, or even a hand on his leg or tug on his shirt, he knows it's Spirit. In 2001, Larry was diagnosed with a brain tumor and not only did he survive, he overcame most of the nerve damage that it caused. He credits more than his doctors for his recovery.
My favorite change in Larry, though, is that my tough, tattooed, motorcycle man has become more emotionally sensitive to everything for some reason. The Color Purple makes him cry and don't get him started on how much he loves our family. The guy's a sap.
The Start of Something Good
Though I've finally embraced my gift, I'm far from perfect. I have fewer panic attacks, and I'm much more independent. But I still don't like elevators or enclosed spaces, and I'm deathly afraid of the dark (no pun intended). I sleep with a nightlight and TV on, and I keep all the doors open except the closet. I also don't go into a deep sleep at night. I toss, I turn, I hear things, I feel things. And if I dream, I don't remember it. Larry says when my alarm goes off at six a.m., I get right up—no stretching, no snoozing. It's as if I'm happy that I don't have to be in that bed a minute longer. I try to be the best Theresa Caputo I can be, but there are plenty of days I come up short. I'm a medium, not a saint!
As someone who doesn't exactly hide her big personality, I've found it fun and interesting to channel souls that have distinct characters and stories. I love meeting new people, and being a medium can make me feel like the hostess at a really important gathering. Children's souls, especially, have told me, "My parents have been to mediums, but I like channeling through you because you let my parents see me." People can feel their loved ones and how they acted or spoke when they were at their best. I'm not saying this is because I'm better than other mediums—no no no no no. I feel that all mediums channel and connect with Spirit differently; one isn't more skilled or better than another.
I realize that I have a lot to be grateful for. I'm glad that I can share this gift with other people, though my family likes to joke that I don't give them much of a choice when I stop them in the gym, dentist, or at the mall! I'm glad that Spirit continues to keep me on my toes, and with every single reading, they teach me something new. I also feel thankful that I have such an easygoing personality, or else it might be harder for me to accept my unusual abilities. As a rule, I don't question or overanalyze anything—I let life be simple. If you handed me a bottle of hair spray and asked how it worked, I'd say, "Listen, I don't care how. Does it work? Yes? Great." I don't need to know how, when, why. It is what it is, and that's it. I treat Spirit communication the same way.
But, enough about me. Let's get down to Spirit!
Meet the Author
Theresa Caputo was born and raised on Long Island and lives there with her husband and two children. She is the star of Long Island Medium, which airs on TLC. After suffering anxiety for most of her life, Theresa met with a spiritual adviser who helped her realize her ability to communicate with Spirit. Theresa has been a practicing medium for more than ten years and is a certified medium with the Forever Family Foundation. Her first two books, There's More to Life Than This and You Can't Make This Stuff Up, became instant New York Times bestsellers. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, The Dr. Oz Show, and Ellen and has helped countless people heal and find the closure to embrace life without their loved ones. For more, please visit TheresaCaputo.com.
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I loved this book. It's less about being a celebrity medium and more about her personal relationship with God, which I found very inspirational. She has a very unique gift that she uses to provide comfort and healing to others. You don't need to believe in Mediums to admire her for that.
This book is wonderful! I loved reading it--couldn't hardly put it down. It's a page turner that makes you sad when you're done reading because it's over. I'm going to wait a month and read it again (if I can wait that long! lol).
Great book. She's wonderful, I've met her (in a store!) and she she gave me a wonderful message from my deceased grandparents. She's a kind, compassionate woman. Excellent book.
This was a great book. I did skim one chapter but other than that it kept me interested and was enjoyable. Would love to meet this lady. I love her beliefs.
This book was awesome! It was WAY better than I thought it was going to be. It's like "Medium 101" with very positive and helpful hints if you want to develop further, how to put up boundaries, and what heaven/God is like. Her words spoke to me as if confirming for me something I already knew. The audiobook read by Theresa is also great! Love, love, love her! I highly recommend this book!
Its so good i cant even explain
Incredible book. I have payed it forward and have given friends and family her book as a gift. This book will help answer questions we all have regarding Spirit..heaven...GOD...and why its so important to pray and love each other. Read this book...it will change your life.
Incredibly healing for anyone, grieving or not. There ARE scams out there, but Theresa is the real deal. Highly recommended....I did not need the audio version to read this book in her voice ;-)
Theresa is wonderful. She is humble and very caring. She does not have an ego. Theresa has helped so many people understand the true gift of mediumship and has provided loving/caring messages from our loved ones on the other side. I have seen Theresa in person twice now, and she is incredibly good. This book is appropriate for people who know very little about the subject, to experts. Thank you Theresa for enlightening so many. While she doesn't care if you believe her, she truly does care about the people and the messages she delivers. We are all trying to evolve - to become better human beings, learning the lessons of love and caring for our fellow man. Looking at Theresa, knowing what she has revealed in this book, you realize what is truly important in life. It's not having the best fitness, or the most rewarding career, or the best education. Life really is about reaching out to others, acknowledging their pain, sharing a smile and some kind words, reassuring them that all is well, etc. WWJD, as they say. Well, she is doing it. Theresa is here to remind us all that faith should always prevail over fear. You can't have both. And remember, what doesn't kill you, makes your soul wiser.
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. Very inspirational and has connected me back with meditating and trying to think more positively. Love how honest Theresa is.
This was a book I couldn't put down!! This is a type of book I love reading...when it's hard to stop, for even a moment!! Theresa Caputo is THE best medium I've ever watched, and her book truly gives insight into her talents. Her compassion and caring for each and every person she reads for comes shining through each time. Her wit and wisdom comes through in every page of her book. I now have a better knowledge of how she developed her talents, and how she receives the information from Spirit. I plan to re-read it again...to cry, to smile, to absorb all I can from this beautiful lady. AND to dream of a reading one day from this fantastic LONG ISLAND MEDIUM!!!
I am a huge fan of Theresa and her show, and I'm so glad I bought her book! It confirmed many things about Spirit and the afterlife that I always knew in my heart to be true. It also comforted and warmed my heart to know without a doubt that my mom's spirit is always with me and giving me "signs". Again I already knew this in my heart, but Theresa validated it for me. Thank you, Theresa, for all you do!
Sharing her gift and experiences, Theresa helps one understand why "things happen for a reason" in the "circle of life." Brings comfort and confirmation of what many believe and experience themselves. I will listen to this book audio again!
Reading this book I could actual hear Theresa talking, she has that perky funny voice. She is very spiritual and I found this book both uplifting at times but also made me stop and think others.
I haven't even finished this book yet, but already I can safely give it a 5!!! Amazing, this is not just Theresa patting herself on the back, this is a book full of comfort, joy and spiritual teachings beyond my wildest imagination. I have highlighted, marked, flagged so many pages already its silly the whole book is highlight worthy. She is humorous, gentle, inspiring and comforting. There is more to life...
I LOVED this book! It is a quick read - I had a hard time putting it down...I was so fascinated by her explanations - which were made as simple as possible, so even if you don't fully understand how a Medium's "gift" works - you do after reading this. I think Theresa is a delightful gem of a human being for uplifting the souls of the living by communicating with the souls of the dead. I found this book to be very inspirational and hope there will be another book in the near future!
This book is very interesting and explains the mysteries of death. Her show on TV tells stories of some of the people she helps, but this book goes deeper in detail. Very helpful for all to read explaining death and hear after.
Loved it... Love Theresa! Great afterword by the coauthor, too.
Thank you Mrs. Caputo!! Your book has helped me sooo much with the very recent loss of my younger sister. She was only 47 yrs old. Your book is well written & easily understood. I am no longer struggling with her loss.
I don't understand this gift but I have seen questions answered by Theresa that I cannot explain. I have a friend that sees things happen ahead of time and I can't explain that either.
This book reads exactly like Theresa Caputo talks! It is filled with many anecdotes similar to those depicted in her show "Long Island Medium." She also addresses many afterlife questions about which we are all curious. Theresa's humor is sprinkled throughout and the book overall is an easy read. If you are a fan, you will enjoy this book!
I loved this book. Very uplifting and an excellent read. It definitely reflects Theresa's humor and personality!
Left me feeling great and positive! Well done! Want more ASAP!

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